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The Devil And Daniel Webster
Stephen Vincent Venet Manufacturer: Dramatists Play Service ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0822203030 |
Book Description
A spirited selection from one of the most highly prized American writers of the twentieth centuryCustomer Reviews:
The Devil and Daniel Webster.......2006-03-20
Benet's Twain-Like Take: Is Lucifer a Foreigner?.......2003-06-05
a worthy legend for America and for Webster.......2002-05-17
Jabez Stone of Cross Corners, New Hampshire is a man of little luck, until, with his wife and children ill and a whitlow on his own thumb, he barks :
I vow it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devill And I would, too, for two cents!
With that, a stranger appears and Jabez makes a deal, signing it in blood, which changes his luck drastically.
Over the next ten years, Stone prospers, becoming wealthy and an important man in politics. But with his mortgage to the stranger coming due, Jabez Stone regrets
the deal he's made and pays a visit to his neighbor, Daniel Webster, of Mansfield, NH--the nation's greatest lawyer and New England's most revered citizen--to see
if Mr. Webster will take him on as a client and see if there's not some way out of the deal. A lesser man might balk at the prospect of such a fight, but Daniel
Webster has a special regard for his constituents and cheerfully assures Jabez that they'll prevail :
For if two New Hampshiremen aren't a match for the devil, we might as well give the country back to the Indians.
Webster's first ploy is to challenge the stranger's right to prey upon Americans :
'Mr. Stone is an American citizen, and no American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince. We fought England for that
in ë12 and weíll fight all hell for it again!'
'Foreign?' said the stranger. 'And who calls me a foreigner?'
'Well, I never yet heard of the dev -- of your claiming American citizenship,' said Dan'l Webster with surprise.
'And who with better right?' said the stranger, with one of his terrible smiles. 'When the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there.
When the first slaver put out for the Congo, I stood on her deck. Am I not in your books and stories and beliefs, from the first settlements on?
Am I not spoken of, still, in every church in New England? 'Tis true the North claims me for a Southerner, and the South for a Northerner,
but I am neither. I am merely an honest American like yourself--and of the best descent--for, to tell the truth, Mr. Webster,
though I don't like to boast of it, my name is older in this country than yours.'
This prompts Webster to recourse to Stone's rights as an American :
'Aha!' said Dan'l Webster, with the veins standing out in his forehead. 'Then I stand on the Constitution! I demand a trial for my client!'
'The case is hardly one for an ordinary court,' said the stranger, his eyes flickering. 'And, indeed, the lateness of the hour-'
'Let it be any court you choose, so it is an American judge and an American jury!' said Dan'l Webster in his pride.
'Let it be the quick or the dead; I'll abide the issue!'
And so begins a trial, presided over by Justice Hathorne, who likewise oversaw the Salem Witch Trials, with a jury made up of the likes of Walter Butler, Simon
Girty, King Philip, Reverend John Smeet, and Morton of Merry Mount. Inevitably, even these dastards are swayed by the rhetorical power of Daniel Webster and
Jabez is released from his contract. The stranger good-naturedly conceding :
'Perhaps 'tis not strictly in accordance with the evidence,' he said, 'but even the damned may salute the eloquence of Mr. Webster.'
Despite this graciousness, Daniel Webster grabs and threatens him, but then relents to his pleading. In exchange for being let go, the stranger predicts Webster's
future for him. The stranger well knows of Webster's desire to be president one day and of his pride in his speaking ability. He warns that the dream will never come
true and, perversely, the ambition will be thwarted by Webster's own talent :
'[T]he last great speech you make will turn many of your own against you,' said the stranger. 'They will call you Ichabod; they will call you
by other names. Even in New England some will say you have turned your coat and sold your country, and their voices will be loud against
you till you die.'
Webster takes the news surpassing well and in turn receives an assurance :
'So it is an honest speech, it does not matter what men say,' said Dan'l Webster. Then he looked at the stranger and their glances locked.
'One question,' he said. 'I have fought for the Union all my life. Will I see that fight won against those who would tear it apart?'
'Not while you live,' said the stranger, grimly, 'but it will be won. And after you are dead, there are thousands who will fight for your cause,
because of words that you spoke."
'Why, then, you long-barreled, slab-sided, lantern-jawed, fortune-telling note shaver!' said Dan'l Webster, with a great roar of laughter,
'be off with you to your own place before I put my mark on you! For, by the thirteen original colonies, I'd go to the Pit itself to save the Union!'
Sure enough, Webster's great speech in favor of the Missouri Compromise in 1850 would ensure its passage but with its provision for admitting a new slave state to
the Union would make him anathema to hardcore abolitionists and doom his presidential hopes.
Benet helped adapt this story for the screen and it made for one of the really underrated great American films. With sterling performances by Edward Arnold as
Webster and Walter Huston as the stranger, here called Mr. Scratch, the middle portion of the story, detailing Jabez Stone's rising fortunes and declining character,
is greatly expanded. This is problematic because James Craig as Jabez is pretty nondescript, but Jane Darwell as his mother and Simone Simon as a sultry vixen who
becomes the Stone's housemaid help to carry us through until the trial starts.
One interesting aspect of Benet's tale is his refusal to let his countrymen off the hook; the Devil is obviously integral to the American experience and though Webster
matches the Devil in the end, he too hears the siren call of Mr. Scratch. In the end though Webster is redeemed by his all consuming love of the nation :
And they say that if you go to his grave and speak loud and clear, 'Dan'l Webster--Dan'l Webster!' the ground'll begin to shiver and the trees
begin to shake. And after a while you'll hear a deep voice saying. 'Neighbor, how stands the Union?' Then you better answer the Union stands
as she stood, rock-bottomed and copper-sheathed, one and indivisible, or he's liable to rear right out of the ground.
What a worthy legend for America and for one of the greatest of her citizens.
GRADE : A
Great Piece of American Literature.......2002-04-24
Great Stories.......2001-06-25
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Devil and Daniel Webster and Other Stories
Stephen Vincent Benet Manufacturer: Simon Pulse ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0671428896 |
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The Devil and Daniel Webster
Stephen Vincent Benet Manufacturer: Farrar & Rinehart ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: B000B86AZA |
Product Description
First page: "It's a story they tell in the Border country, where Massachusetts joins Vermont and New Hampshire. Yes, Dan'l Webster's dead-or, at least, they buried him. But every time there's a thunderstorm around Marshfield, they say you can hear his rolling voice in the hollows of the sky. And they say that if you go to his garve and speak loud and clear, "Dan'l Webster-Dan'l Webster!" the ground'll shiver and the trees begin to shake. And after a while you'll hear a deep voice saying, "Neighbor, how stands the Union?".....
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"A Christmas Carol" & "The Devil and Daniel Webster" Performed By Knxr Radio Theater
Manufacturer: KNXR Radio, Rochester MN ProductGroup: Book Binding: Audio Cassette ASIN: B000GYXSM2 |
Product Description
2 tapes.
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Devil & Daniel Webster
Stephen V Benet Manufacturer: ARCHWAY PRESS ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: B000WDUZTQ |
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The Devil & Daniel Webster
Benet Stephen Vincent Manufacturer: Kingsport Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: B000UDXY7S |
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The Devil and Daniel Webster
Douglas MOORE Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: B000MXE72W |
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The Devil and Daniel Webster
Benet & Denison Manufacturer: Farrar & Rinehart ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: B000ME3PNI |
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THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER AND OTHER STORIES
STEPHEN VINCENT BENET Manufacturer: ARCHWAY ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 0671299433 |
Product Description
SHORT STORIES
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The Devil and Daniel Webster and Other Stories
Stephen Vincent Benet Manufacturer: Archway ProductGroup: Book Binding: Mass Market Paperback ASIN: 0671297279 |
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Last of the Wilds: Age of the Five Trilogy Book 2 (Age of the Five Trilogy)
Trudi Canavan Manufacturer: Eos ProductGroup: Book Binding: Mass Market Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0060815914 Release Date: 2006-04-25 |
Book Description
After pitched battle, The White—the avatars of the Five Gods—have briefly turned back the vicious invaders. And now, the priestess Auraya is sent on an urgent mission to reconcile with the powerful, outcast Dreamweavers, for their magical healing abilities may be the key to saving the land. But as a deadly plague devastates their allies and old adversaries resurface, a dreadful surprise may ruin the chance for peace. For Auraya's terrible discovery will force her into a desperate choice—one whose consequences will change the world forever.
Customer Reviews:
Better than the first, looking forward to the third.......2006-12-29
Simply wonderful.......2006-10-06
Hydroslider.......2006-06-06
Much better!.......2006-06-05
Two good books in a row.......2006-05-09
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The Hollow Earth: The Narrative of Mason Algiers Reynolds of Virginia
Rudy Rucker Manufacturer: Avon Books (Mm) ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0380755351 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Read........2004-11-24
Very amusing for Poe fans-- imaginative and fun........2000-06-24
For the love of god, avoid this book........2000-06-17
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Fast Lane to Heaven: Celestial Encounters that Changed My Life
Ned Dougherty Manufacturer: Hampton Roads Publishing Company ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 157174200X |
Amazon.com
Ned Dougherty, author of Fast Lane to Heaven, almost died at the age of 37--an experience that ultimately saved his life. Before he collapsed on the cement outside of his nightclub in the Hamptons of New York, he was leading a hedonistic lifestyle of heavy drinking and short-term relationships with women half his age. Then, one day after fighting with his business partner, Dougherty felt his chest tighten and suddenly he was unable to breathe. "My sense of hearing turned inward, and I was listening for sounds from my now silent lungs, which seemed to have collapsed," he recalls in his characteristic gripping narration. "For a long, pregnant moment, everything before me stood still. I was dying and I knew it. In a split second, I thought: This is it! This is how it all ends! Suddenly, I felt what seemed like an electrical explosion in my head, and my body collapsed to the sidewalk." As an ambulance crew valiantly tried to resuscitate him, Dougherty shifted in and out of his body. Finally, he felt his spirit lift out of the ambulance and he was left standing before a tunnel that curled like an ocean wave and "stretched directly in the heavens." From there he entered a "life review process" in Heaven that forced him to reckon with his past as well as the life he created in the present. Nothing was the same after that.Readers can't help but like Dougherty. He's brutally honest about his character flaws and alcoholism, so when redemption comes, it's all the sweeter. (And it isn't instant--he has to return to a few years of hard lessons before the benefits of the near-death experience truly take hold.) Count on an exceptionally smooth read with an endearing narrator who offers classic, yet unique encounters with life and death. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
Ned Dougherty lived a life that anyone searching for power and material wealth would deem successful - until the 1984 incident that caused his death. While medical personnel struggled to restart his silent heart, Dougherty left his body and experienced a series of events so vivid and unusual that they profoundly changed the rest of his life. The experience opened th door to encounters with various aspects of the divine spirit, including the "Lady of Light," a being Dougherty later clearly identifies as the Virgin Mary. To Dougherty and others who have experienced her presence, the Lady is both guide and teacher, fostering spiritual advancement and sharing the Creator's plan for humankind.
- From a featured speaker, former director, and media spokesperson for the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), and founder of the non-profit oragnization Mission of Angels
- Describes the experience that made a wealthy businessman abandon power, drug addiction, and dangerous moneymaking schemes for a life of spiritual purpose
- A vivid look at the "Other Side" - firthand knowledge for anyone who plans on dying
- A powerful lesson in overcoming personal obstacles such as addiction, apathy, and fear
- Describes a series of life-changing encounters with the Virgin Mary - a complement to the surprising number of Marian expericences occuring in recent years
Customer Reviews:
Another Good NDE Book.......2005-05-28
Changing your life can be difficult, even after an NDE.......2005-01-27
Not ONLY did his book foretell 9/11..........2005-01-12
My Fav. NDE Books - I've Been There Too.......2004-01-01
Incredible, Amazing Near Death Experience.......2003-08-04
Dougherty was living the hedonistic, fast lane of life, with homes in both The Hamptons, and West Palm Beach, driving expensive cars, having many expensive toys, and operating two thriving nightclubs. Alcohol was his admitted drug of choice, and cocaine use was intermittently part of his lifestyle, as were meaningless relationships with meaningless beautiful women.
After suffering an apparent heart attack, Dougherty realized that he was no longer "in his body", and was met by a former friend who "died" in Vietnam. Dougherty recalls in stunning detail his life review, future life events, future world events, including the 9-11 attacks on New York and Washington, his meetings with The Lady of The Light, God, and other spiritual beings. Because Dougherty's life's mission is not yet completed on earth, he is told he must go back.
Needless to say, Dougherty's life is forever transformed after his heavenly encounters, and amazingly, the doctors could not find anything physically wrong with him - all of his medical tests were normal. Yet Dougherty knew that he had died, but all of the doctors could not find anything indicating a heart attack.
As foretold to Dougherty, he indeed turned his life around, and is no longer living a hedonistic, fast lifestyle, but a more spiritual, contemplative one, which includes hospice volunteering, as well as forming his Angels of Mercy organization which provides miracles to those in need. He is still visited by The Lady of The Light and his devotion and faith in God has deepened greatly.
I found this book truly amazing, and I have read all the NDE books that I can, and this account is one of the best. His honesty and admittances of his former lifestyle helped to portray him as he truly was/is. He was not portrayed as someone without any flaws, or perfect. I am sure that all readers can relate to his imperfections in one way or another. The reader can only "try" to relate to his struggles and difficulties in "trying" to live an earthly existence, after seeing and experiencing all that he had with his celestial encounters. Synchronistic encounters reaffirmed to Dougherty that all that happened did indeed happen. Events shown to him that would occur in his life happened not according to Dougherty's "trying" to make them happen, but instead they happened according to God's plan.
I have to disagree with the other reviewers, as I think that they tended to focus only the events which were predicted for 9/11 and entirely missed the messages contained within the book.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in NDEs. There is a most startling message in the book from Archangel Michael that was given to Dougherty, that is worth reading several times over. A message for us all.
This book is just another confirmation to us all that there is nothing to fear in dying, that we all are constantly guided and loved, and that we only have to ask for help from above. There is so much more to life than "toys" or material possessions and Dougherty proves that point very well.
This book's message is incredibly timely for what we are living though now and thank you Ned Dougherty for sharing your wonderful incredible experiences for us all.
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